Apparatus for curing tobacco artificially.



No. 655,2l4. Patented Aug. 7, |900.

n. .1. ETLY.

APPARATUS FOR CURING TOBACCO ABTIFICIYALLY.

(Applicatiop med Aug. 1o, .1399.)

Patented Aug. 7, |900.

' No. 655,2I4.

D. J. ETLY.

APPARATUS FOR CURING TOBACCO ARTIFICIALLY.

3 sheets-sheet 2 (Application led Aug. 16, 1899.)

(N0 Model.)

No. 655,2!4. Patented Aug. 7, |900. D. J. ETLY. APPARATUS FDR CUBING TOBACCO ARTIFICIAL-LY.

(Application led Aug'. 16, 1899.;

3 sheets-sheet s.

(No Model.)`

l :Tens bo. wom-LITRO., wAsHlNnTnN n c i UNITED STATES 4IDA-Taart OFFICE nAvm J. nrLY, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

APPARATUS FOR CURING TOBACCO ARTIFICIALLYO'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,214, dated August 7, 1900;. Application filed August 16, 1899. Serial No. 727,391. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID J. ETLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jelerson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Curing Tobacco Articially; and I do' declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invent-ion relates to certain improvements in the means heretofore proposed for artificially curing tobacco, which contemplate the subjection of the tobacco successively to the actions of heating and refrigeratingtemperatures artificially produced, or, looking at the invention from another point of view, to improvements in the previous proposals of curing tobacco artificially which spray the same 'with steam while it is contained in an airtight receptacle. -These previous proposals-namely, those which depend for the curing of the tobacco upon inducing' a rapid and yet controllable sweating of the same by means of steam sprayed thereon Awhile in a steam-tight receptacle and subsequently' per-H steps of treating the tobacco with certain In treating tobacco by the means hereinafter described the tobacco fto be cured is not only subjected to the action of heating and refrigerating agents,`which alone are not efiicacious in developing the aroma, taste, and appearances characteristic of the Well-cured Y leaf, and is not `alone sprayed'and dried, but it several steps are practiced While the tobacco is hung up in hands on racks arranged in an air-tight chamber and under the following further peculiar conditions, namelyf Steam isutilized, as heretofore proposed, to produce out the first step ofthe treatment under a condition of low temperature and by refrigerating the moisture taken up by the leaves during said first step of the treatment incomparably-better results are produced than when the tobacco is sprayed with live steam or refrigerated Without being Vpreviously mois-` tened.` After the leaf has been moistened and frozen' it is subjected to a high temperature, which dries it and coacts with thefree'zing temperature in imparting the condition of maturity thereto, and at certain times in the treatment the tobacco is subjected to the action of a current of air, with which the chamber or apartment is supplied, and the disagreeable odors and gases developed during the earlier stages of the treatment are withdrawn from the apartment. These several steps of the treatment are carried out in the one chamber and without necessitating handling of the leaf between the steps.

The best agent known for carrying out the refrigerating step of the treatment is a circu- Y latiug column of chilled brine, and the best" agent known to me for carrying out the other* step of the treatment is steam. By treating the tobacco in a chamberA which is as nearly* air-tight as possible the leaf receives fully the IOO to a high degree are "not wholly lost to the bottom of the box 1 and has a valve 29. Said pipe 28` may terminate in the atmosphere or may end in well-known means for returning condensed steam to the generator,whichever is preferred. The steam-supply pipe 19,at a place forward of the valve 2O thercin,is tapped by a pipe 30, which leads therefrom to the steam-pipe 23 and communicates with the latter at a place after that at which the valve 24 is located. Said pipe 30 is provided with a valve 31. From the T coupling 27 leads downward a pipe 30a,having a valve 31a. This pipe 30 communicates with a pipe 32, which i' is located, preferably, immediately above the floor of the box or apartment A and has one end closed by a cap 33 andits upper surface formed with a number of perforations 34, which point in different directions and through which the tobacco is sprayed with moisture. with the steam-pipe permits the spray and the refrigerant to be used simultaneously. Itis within the scope of the invention to connect the spray-pipe with the steam-supply pipe by means which does not include the downpipe 23.

The first step in the treatment of the tobacco by means of this apparatus is the spraying step conducted by steam under a condition of low temperature which develops moistening properties thereof. In carrying out this step valves 16 and 26 are opened for the circulation of the refrigerant and valves 3l and 31' opened for the supply of steam for spraying purposes. It will be evident that the steam will now fiow from pipe 19 through pipes 30 23 l30a and spray-pipe 32 in the order named and that brine will circulate throughpipes 15, 2l, and 25 and back to the brine-tank. It may be that the tobacco will have been sufficiently sprayed before it has been subjected to a freezing temperature the time desired or required for the latter,and in such event valves 31 and 31a are closed to shut off steam, and the other valves, 16 and 26, are left open to continue the refrigerating period. It will be observed that the moisture absorbed by and developed in the tobacco during the spraying period is frozen during the refrigerating period. When the tobacco has been sufficiently refrigerated, the brineforcing means is stopped and no more brine enters the pipes, but pipe 21, with other pipes, remains filled with brine. As said pipe 21 forms part of the system through which steam flows in the heating step of the system, it is for many reasons deemed desirable to expel the brine from said pipe before steam is turned on for the next step of the treatment. To this end valve 18 is opened and all the other valves, except 26, are closed, which causes air under pressure to rush through pipes 2l and 25 and force the brine out from the same and back to the brine-tank for reuse. Compressed air is the preferred agent for this purpose, as it leaves pipe 2l wholly free of any fluid which would interfere with the free This connection of the spray-pipe` circulation of steam and does not dilute the brine, but other agents may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention. W'hen pipe 21 has been thus freed from brine, valves 20, 24, and 29 are opened and all other valves are closed, thus causing steam to flow through pipes 19, 21, 23, and 2S and carry out the heating and drying step of the treatment. It may be necessary or desirable to subject the tobacco to the action of an air current or currents during certain periods of treatment, and it is especially desirable to withdraw from the apartment gases or odors that may arise during the earlierV stages of the treatment. For these purposes a fan 3a may be utilized, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, or the use of compressed air may be resorted to, as shown in Fig. 3, under conditions which will permit them to expel said gases or odors when necessary. If the fan is employed, it may be of any suitable construction and driven by any suitable power, and it may be located within the apartment or chamber, as shown in the drawings, or outside the same and suitably connected therewith without departing from the spirit of the invention. If compressed air is preferred, it will of course be `obtained from the reservoir, which holds the supply for driving brine from the pipes 2l and25, and will be delivered into the apartment or chamber in any suitable manner-as, for instance, through the perforated pipe 35, which is connected with the air-supply pipe 17 by a valved pipe or coupling 36.

The steps of treatment hereinabove described may be repeated as often as deemed necessary to bring the tobacco tothe required degree of maturity. It will be observed that during the entire period of treatment the tobacco remains in the apartment A, instead of being partially treated in one apartment and then removed to another apartment or to other apartmen ts for another portion or portions of the treatment.

While the valves which control the circulation of the various agents are shown as 1o cated within the apartment A, they may, if desired, be outside the apartment, so as to be accessible without having to enter the latter.

It will be noted that in the apparatus described the refrigerating agent circulates through pipes located only near the ceiling of the apartment. This is believed to be sufficient to cause all the tobacco to be uniformly refrigerated, especially when circulating refrigerated brine is used as the refrigerant. It will also be seen that the sprayed steam ascends from the bottom of the apartment, which is evidently the best location for the spray-pipe. spraypipe will be ample to cause all the tobacco to be rapidly and thoroughly moistened, especially when said pipe is, as shown,located near the center of the floor of the apartment and has its perforations directed to throw the spray toward various points in the apartment.

It is believed that the one IOO IIO

i pipe@ ieeeted at beth the top and bottomy efthef apertiiieii @whereby uniform hee-tin g an@ dry-1' irigeftlie tebfteee is mere rapidly mid em- QientIyeee-mpiielied their if the pipes ttere;

fer were located silel'y et tlie fopor the E teiiief pipes isf eeh sie te' eiiiiiiiiiiteerdieprevideememis having tiie fewest peseiliilef i pipes end e'jeiineetionsfby wliie'ii the tebsieed may be efiieieiitiy tree-te'd.E by seigeriii egieiits' described ziiid without iefiievei et t tebeee from the apartment uliiiii it )me Heen treated byeil vthe egeiits' but; iretwitiistaiirdinfgf that 1 believe thespeeie eeiietiiietieri @esteri-bed is; the bestedepted te yetteiiie fairy' the ebjeetea eff the iiii'feiitieit,t many @ii-enges nifty" bejiiisie with-mit depfirtiiig freni. the spirit et the iiiveii tiem e I. desire toA` sei'y'thsit it isy new in tiiisfiii-5;. :is

the treatment of? the tem-een; ifielliidiiigset: ufietieiif refiigeritieii, emi iieetirfigf is eer-j rieei mi in' eiie aperti@ entf, eed espeeieiiyie new tei se eefrstiuet.tireiippeiiitiie ee time tite eej-verm agente employed. will iii-ewtiireiig'h= 1 iiii temperature of thefetp-ririert'at-Iow degree, i seid devieeeiiieliiding e steameprey pipe disa charging inte-the epetrtmente'iid e refrigerant- Ieeteri iii t'ii eiper'tiireritud iiideperigi-v eiie ef. seid spreynpipe, substentiaiiy es de; :lsli'bnf Y.

2 In fi ifiieeiie for artificially' tei g lieee, the ejofiibiiiaitieii ef eirrtight ipert-v meiit fer' the toiiaeeo, et spray-pipe' iii seid apertineiit, pipes for' they eiieiiletien o f hee-tf; ing end refrigerating agents through seid 1 apartment, ami ineens' for supplying spie-yf iig;` hea-ting; emi refiigeizaitiiig' egeiits te' seid 3;- Iii et iiieeiisf fer erftifieially e'ufriiig te; glieeeo; the ee bin-eeen with en enz-tight fepiirferiieiit Hevin'g' reeks'- frefni wliieh te stief containing the tobacco undergoing treetrri/t fari sil im aware; te pre-vide iii-eens by wiiieli.- g

arid iiif'eeirisf` fer eir'eiiletingheiiting sind ref frigeriiting gerrie within: Seid receptacle asp-d vieri spieyiiig tirel toiieieee seid ie'eepteeie, ienibiste'- Ifly' as @eseri lvd, whereby tiie'fte'i beiden isiy sprayed; refrigereted iidheeted irithe one receptacle, as s-pieeifiede. Iii eppeietiiefef eitifieieiiy @meg teieeeecn tire eembiiiriiticiii with tpfirt Attert'hei ie'iieeeete be treeted', et' avelieri p e ,leediiig fiffimf e; sourceof eiiiiledeiii-irre' empi` pry; it te ejd. pipe ieeiding from et souieeefVv steiine-fs ppiy', etici ai pipe inthe apititm'eiit iisiviiigi eeiiiiiiiiiiiegitieii with betli ef tiieipre:

IOO

and steam, en@ for' the IIO g viifed pipev for the sirppily of steam, mee'tr'isi for ieiiietig steam 'arid the refrigerate-iig ege lireiigh the epartiiieiitpeiid ev spray: pipe avia-g. 'e'Y verve-controlled eem-munitie: tieriiirfi thestieemj-siippiy pip'ei- 7. In apfiar'tuefr ariielly""lg i teibee'eo, the eemiiiiietiena withv am apartment gfei" the' t-obfaec 60 b e' treatt'edi, of i Vl'ved p'pe for trie siippty' er refr igereitip-g egeiit; fvelved pipefor the eu'pplyef steering pipe iiithefepertmeiithavingeemmu-nieetie-irwith b etlfr et seidf suppiyrpipe's and eeminoii tebeth' the stezinif-- and the ferri-gerumig eigeritg wird! ,.e spreyepipein seid ep'ertmienmheiviiig'eiviilvge'eutreiied pipe fersup'pliying itwitiii Stettin gfifom thesteem-sepply pipe. f 8. iii epperetae for" artificiel-1y eiiriiiig iteri eitebeeeetoibe treated;i of am u fpper'enid selliowei eei-l imeaid pettine-nm e.-frown-pipey toiiiieee, trie eemiim-etieir with im epertmeirt controlling communication of the upper coil with the lower coil, a valve for controlling communication of the lower coil with the down-pipe, a valved spray-pipe connected with said down-pipe, a valved pipe for refrigerant, discharging into the upper coil, a valved pipe for a heating agent also discharging into said upper coil, and a valved pipe for the spraying agent, connecting the latter supply-pipe with the down-pipe, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth. Y

9. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination with an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of a valved pipe for the supply of chilled brine, a valved pipe for the supply of a brine-expelling agent, a valved pipe for the supply of a heating agent, and a pipe in said apartment having communication with the several supply-pipes and common to the several agents supplied thereby.

10. In an apparatus for artiiicially curing tobacco, the combination with an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of a valved pipe for the supply of chilled brine, a valved pipe for the supply of a brine-expelling agent, a valved pipe for the supply of steam, a pipe in said apartment having communication with all of said supply-pipes, and a spray-pipe in said apartment having valved communication with the steam-supply pipe.

11. In an apparatus for artiiicially curing tobacco, the combination with an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of means for circulating a heating agent and chilled brine through said apartment, said means including a pipe in the apartment through which the heating agent and chilled brine both lioW, and means for expelling the brine from said pipe in advance of the supply of the heating agent thereto.

12. In an apparatus for artiiicially curing tobacco, the combination With an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of means for successively spraying, refrigerating and heating the tobacco in said receptacle, said means including a steam-supply pipe, and a spraypipe and a heating-pipe both having valvecontrolled communication with said steamsupply pipe, substantially as described.

13. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination With an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of a valved pipe for the supply of a refrigerant, a valved pipe for the supply of steam, a coil in the apartment having communication with both of said supply-pipes and common to both the refrigerating and heating agents, and a spray-pipe in the apartment having a valved connection with said steam-supply pipe independent of said coil, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.`

14. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination with an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of a four-way coupling, a pipe for chilled brine, a pipe for AClt lsteam andfa pipe for a brine-expelling fluid for the tobacco to be treated, of a pipe in saidA apartment, `means for successively delivering to said pipe chilled brine for refrigerating the tobacco,a brine-expelling fluid, and steam for heating the tobacco, and a steam-spray pipe also located in said apartment.

16. In an apparatus for artiiicially curing tobacco, the combination with an air-tight apartment having racks from Which to suspend the tobacco, and means for successively heating and refrigerating said apartment, said means including a steam-supply pipe and a pipe in the apartment through which steam for heating purposes iows, of a spray-pipe having a valved connection with said steamsupply pipe.

17. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination with an air-tight apartment having racks from which to suspend the tobacco, of a pipe in said apartment,means for successively delivering steam and a refrigerant to said pipe, and a steamspray pipe having an independent connection with the steam-supply pipe, whereby the re= frigerant and the spray maybe used at once.

18. In an apparatus for articially curing tobacco, the combination with an air-tight apartment having racks from which to suspend the tobacco, of a pipe in said apartment, means for successively delivering to said pipe chilled brine for refrigerating the tobacco, a brine-expelling iiuid, and steam for heating the tobacco, and a steam-spray pipe also located in the apartment and having a separate valved connection with the steam-supply pipe, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

19. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination with an apartment for the tobacco to be treated, and a spraypipe discharging into said apartment, of pipes in said apartment, having communication with sources of steam and chilled-brine supply and scrving to circulate steam and chilled brine through the apartment, substantially as described and for the purposes set forth.

20. In an apparatus for artificially curing tobacco, the combination with an air-tight apartment for the tobacco to be treated, of means for successively spraying, refrigerating and heating and drying the tobacco in IOO swam-#mem www@ fr' @Milam- Currents iii said apartment toexpel 'gases md 241. In n ppaatns for artificially ''ring tobacco, the eombination with an apartment for thetobaeco to be treated, a valved pipe leading front 'oi'c'e offohiHed-bine Supply and a vaived pipe leding4 from 'soiirce of steam-snpply, of a,- brin and Steam ieliiiit` ngpipe in the apartment having oonuii-V cation with both of lsaid supply-pipes, al

' Valvedpp'e leading from@ Source of doini pressed-iii snpply and having conininnition Witnsaid pipe in the apartment; fifi@V valved pipe opening into said apartment `:amd i having ommication with said eompi'essed aLr-*upply pipe; for dieehagig compressed' air dir'eetly into the apitnient, :siibs-tatiaflly as de'e'ribed and for the purposes set forth,

p t "enligne 22. The herein-described' ptinent for onta-ining'tbaeeo to be eiied rtitiiallly, said apartment 'Having doblwalls with an vineulatii1,`.-spi iee between MUse-id vzaslis,J and a door for' Said apartmentr ons'istiigof it plu`-` raiity of Ylayers of material arranged tqfrjm Withi the it'lfii'bfthe door spaefi magnei, -andza p'ee "for ded'yiand a layer" of magnesia in themen-mentioned spade; eombined with means for Spifaying,

h'etingand refrigerating the contentsof Said apartment.l p p f In testimony whereof I ax r'yegfiture i YDAVID YJ. ETL@ 'Witnessess l y Y Y I Gato-Gr.4 BRIGGS, A. M.A DLD`` 

